JOURNAL COST INCREASE LIMITS
A “Mini-Workshop” memo for Collection Managers
Effective: Immediately
(Introduced at Collection Managers' Forum, June 2, 2004)
New Policy
If the difference between the 2004 and the 2005 price of a title is more than $50 and more than 10% of the 2004 price, the title will be referred to the appropriate collection manager for cancellation or for approval of an additional charge against the applicable –4 fund.
Example:
| Title A | |
|---|---|
| 2004 price: | $ 135 |
| 2005 price: | $ 175 |
| Difference: | $ 40 or 29.6% |
| Action: | None (less than $50 increase) |
| Title B | |
| 2004 price: | $ 1,490 |
| 2005 price: | $ 1,615 |
| Difference: | $ 125 or 8.38% |
| Action: | None (less than 10% increase) |
| Title C | |
| 2004 price: | $ 690 |
| 2005 price: | $ 770 |
| Difference: | $ 80 or 11.6% |
| Action: | Refer to Collection manager |
Rationale
In previous years, any price increase was absorbed automatically into the -3 funds shared pool of money. No attempt was made to track these increases by volume, fund or discipline. Only when a subscription agent notified SER of a particularly large price increase was the collection manager contacted to assure the value of the title at the higher price. Even then, if the collection manager wished to continue the title, the price increase was simply absorbed into the shared –3 funds pool. Now that the budget has been reduced and will remain level, the shared –3 funds pool can no longer absorb prices increases.
Process
SER staff will regularly review 2005 payments in order to update the E-Price. Any increase over $50 and more than 10% of the 2004 cost will be flagged for review. SER will e-mail the collection manager with the title and price increase information and request that they fund the percentage beyond 10% from the –4 fund, cancel the title in question for 2006, or cancel a different title on that fund for 2006 to make up the difference. If no response is received after three notifications, the title will be cancelled.
Expected Results
With the larger price increases balanced by voluntary cancellations or use of –4 funds, the SCP06 cancellation project should be limited to no more than 10% across the board.